


Artichokes and Other Hearts

by cmshaw



Category: due South
Genre: Gen, lj snippet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2001-12-12
Updated: 2001-12-12
Packaged: 2017-10-05 07:05:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cmshaw/pseuds/cmshaw
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hey," Ray said, "for a moment there we were kinda brother and sister."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Artichokes and Other Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> *kisses to miss o.*
> 
> also, i disclaim any similarity between ray's fridge and my own, no matter what thermidor may tell you.

Francesca hung on the door to his fridge, swinging back and forth a little. It made the mayonnaise and jelly and whatever else was crammed into the tiny shelves inside the door rattle around. "You have such a bachelor's fridge," she told him.

Ray rolled his eyes. "Yeah," he said, "it's cuz I'm, guess what, a bachelor."

"Actually," Fraser said musingly from the doorway, "the word _bachelor_ is more typically used to describe never-married persons. I believe you might be referred to as a _divorce'_. And Francesca, you should probably not leave the refrigerator door open."

Ray and Francesca exchanged sympathetic looks and smiles. Francesca laughed.

"Hey," Ray said, "for a moment there we were kinda brother and sister."

Francesca turned back to the fridge. "Don't you have anything other than beer?" she demanded.

"I've got milk," Ray protested automatically, looking from Francesca to Fraser and wondering what he'd just -- oh. "Uh," he said awkwardly. "I'm sure he's okay. Your brother, I mean. I mean, someone would tell me. And tell you."

"Why do you have three empty artichoke heart jars in here?" Francesca asked.

Ray leaned around her to look. "Oh. That's for salad dressing."

"Three jars? In December?"

"What was I supposed to do," Ray asked, "throw them out?"

Francesca sighed. "Yes!" She patted his shoulder; apparently he was forgiven.

"Green vegetables are especially important in the winter, Ray," Fraser said.

Ray stood up. "This is Chicago, Fraser. We're not going to get scurvy in Chicago."

Fraser's mouth curled up in a smile. "I wasn't aware that the public health system placed vitamins in the tap water along with all of the less pleasant chemicals," he said.

"Scurvy?" Francesca said. "Like, 'scurvy curl'? Are we arresting pirates again?"

"We are the pirates, Frannie," Ray said. He winked broadly at her and whispered loudly, "Don't tell Fraser, but my pal Tony copied this movie for us illegally."

Fraser sighed. "Ray--"

Ray waved Fraser away. "Kidding, kidding," he said, crossing his fingers behind his back where Francesca could see them. "Hurry up, sis, grab a beer and come on already."

Francesca huffed. "Men," she said, and grabbed a beer.

Ray swung the fridge door closed. "Aw, you know you love us," he said.

She winked at him. "Shows what you know, bro." She wrapped her arm around Fraser's waist and pulled the alarmed-looking Mountie into the living room, where he slipped away and claimed the armchair. She took a sip of beer and knelt down by Ray's television.

"Hey," he said. "Go sit down, I've got it."

Francesca held up a tape with a triumphant grin. "'Hello Clitty'," she said. "Want to watch this one?"

Ray, face burning, made a grab for the tape, but she held it away from him. "Ooh," she teased, "wait 'til I tell Mom."

"Don't you dare!" yelled Ray. "Frannie, give that back!"

"Or here," she said, finding another one, "'Where the Boys Aren't'. Part twelve -- must be a new one. Nice collection," she said to Ray, who was still trying to get the tapes out of her hands. "I ought to come raid it someday."

"Don't you dare -- hey," Ray said. "Hey! What are you doing watching this stuff anyway?"

She grinned. "Shows what you know," she said again.

Ray stopped. "Wow," he said, "I didn't know. Um, for real?"

She stacked the tapes up neatly. "Yeah for real," she said. "Like, right, I'd say so if it weren't?"

"Wow," Ray said again. "Cool. Uh. You can borrow my tapes if you want." Then he was nearly bowled over as Francesca grabbed him in an enthusiastic hug that spilled beer down his back.

"You're the best brother ever," she said, and squeezed.

Ray grinned and patted Francesca's shoulders awkwardly. "Hey. Thanks. Hey. Frannie, let go before I backslide into unbrotherly thoughts here."

She stepped back and punched him on the arm. "Asshole," she said, still beaming, and bounced over to the couch.

Fraser had pushed himself back as far as he could go into the armchair and now looked stiff and very, very uncomfortable, which Ray could understand. Poor little Mountie, trapped in this den of debauchery with beer-drinking, porn-swapping, movie-pirating Vecchio siblings -- it was funny that he wasn't running politely for the door, though. Ray tossed him a grin and a wink, and Fraser blushed bright red but held his ground in the chair.

Well. Wasn't this a night for pleasant surprises.


End file.
